My debut in the national newspaper!

I wrote a press release for an event that we had today - I even wrote the quotes :) . It was fun to get to create something like this and was a good reminder of how much I love writing (even though this wasn't such a big deal) and should try to find more ways to integrate it into my everyday work.

It was printed in the Sunday news. They just copied and pasted it and made it a story. Is that normal? Anyways, I have a scan of the actual copy but I'm techno-dumb and can't make the pdf scan less than 4MB (yes, I tried zipping) and  I think it would be a major pain to actually upload here and download where you are, so here's my original copy.

(For the record, we organized today's events in 4 working days and it went down pretty well! Of course the tent we arranged to borrow didn't appear as planned and we had to make new arrangements the night before, the chairs we rented were in use when we tried to pick them up so we had to snatch every chair in our office plus a few tables,, the live feed couldn't be done because the Town Council wouldn't let us use their phone line which actually was better anyways because we didn't start on time and some of our panel members didn't show up, but still... )

For Immediate Release

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENCE TO BE RECOGNIZED IN HONIARA

The International Day of Non-Violence will be recognized in Honiara for the first time ever on Tuesday October 2^nd.

The event, which will attempt to draw attention to non-violent methods of communication, will start at 10am on the grounds of the Town Council. Celebrations will include a drama performance by SIDT Sei Drama Group followed by a 1 hour panel discussion by prominent members of local agencies that provide services to victims of violence. The panel discussion will start at 11am and will be broadcast live on SIBC.  Audience members will be given a chance to ask questions about domestic violence and non violent approaches to domestic or other disputes. All members of the public are invited to attend.

The event will be led by Oxfam and Family Support Centre; two organisations working in partnership for non-violent solutions to conflict and particularly the elimination of all forms of violence against women.

The International Day of Non-Violence is marked around the world on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence.

In 2007 the UN General Assembly created a resolution to establish the International Day of Non-Violence to "disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness". The resolution reaffirms "the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence" and the desire "to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence".

According to the Center Manager for Family Support Center  “although this day is often recognized in countries experiencing war or civil conflict, we must not overlook the conflict that is experienced everyday within households all over the Solomon Islands. We see the effects of this violence constantly as our clients walk through our door. This is a day to recognize that there are ways to respond to conflict that do not involve fists.”

Violence takes different forms and can be against individuals, vulnerable categories in society, ethnic groups, religion and race and for Solomon Islands physical, emotional, and sexual abuse are common acts of violence against  women and children is widespread and is a national issue. Oxfam and Family Support Center under the ‘Standing Together Against Violence’ Program work as partners to provide and support victims of gender based violence and are actively working towards preventing and reducing violence at home and in communities through community awareness and advocacy activities.

Oxfam Country Director, Katie Greenwood believes the International Day of Non-Violence to be a special day of reflection. “The great and wise leader in Peace, Mahatma Ghandi once said ‘we must be the change we want to see in the world.’”  said Ms Greenwood.  “This celebration gives us a unique opportunity to gather together to reflect upon those words and to discuss the alternatives we all have in our families, our communities and in our organisations to change our behavior and to embrace peaceful, non-violent solutions to conflict.” 

It is an unfortunate fact that violence is a daily reality for Solomon Islanders; both men and women. Nearly 2 out of 3 women in the Solomon Islands reported in a national survey that they had experienced physical or sexual violence, or both, by an intimate partner.  Men too are the victims of violent crime such as stabbings or beatings as a result of community conflict or conflict stemming from alcohol and drug abuse.  Additionally, history as recent as 2006 has shown violent responses to tension between local ethnic groups.

If you or someone you love is experiencing violence, please contact Family Support Center’s 24 hour helpline for immediate assistance at 20619. All services are confidential.

END